Casa Grande man dies following Eloy skydiving accident
ELOY, Ariz. - An investigation is underway after a man died following a skydiving accident in Eloy.
The incident happened just after 12 p.m. on Jan. 31 at Skydive Arizona.
Eloy Police say 73-year-old Terry Gardner of Casa Grande and three of his friends were set to complete their third jump of the day.
Gardner's friends landed safely without any issues, but when Gardner's parachute deployed, police say "unexpected complications arose," and he made a hard landing.
Gardner was rushed to a hospital where he later died.
"The group had planned a formation jump from an altitude of approximately 14,000 feet," police said of the fatal jump. "While they were unable to complete the intended formation, it is not believed that this contributed to the accident."
Police say it's unknown if there were any issues with Gardner's parachute, but it will be inspected by the Federal Aviation Administration.